“P-peace be w-with you.” Sheri stammered, not wanting to cry. “G-go with—”
Alpha sunk its teeth into Sheri’s neck, savoring the soft skin and the squirt of blood that moistened its parched mouth. Despite Sheri’s attempts to remain stoic, she screamed from the pain. Alpha dragged her to the ground. As the leader, this human belonged solely to it.
The others, however, were fair game. The feeding frenzy began. The remainder of the pack ripped apart horse and human alike. Brad’s yelling ended abruptly when two deaders chewed out each side of his neck, one taking his vocal cords with it. Being fed off by only one deader, Sheri died much slower, although she did not realize it since she had gone into shock after the first bite.
Chapter Eighteen
Nathan, Chris, Kiera, and Shithead spent the day adding the second and third strands of barbed wire around the cabin. Having strung the first strand several weeks ago, by now they were old hands at this, so the project did not take quite as long as the first time. They began to the left of the compound, running the strand at a height of five feet between trees, a foot above the original. Nathan stretched the wire from tree to tree, wrapping it around each trunk, while Chris followed, hammering two nails above and below the wire to secure it. Kiera tagged along behind them, filling empty cans with enough small stones to sound an alarm if anything attempted to break through. Shithead self-appointed himself to guard duty, making certain no evil squirrels presented a danger to the group.
Once they hand made one full circle of the compound, they stopped for lunch. Miriam had prepared each of them a pair of egg salad sandwiches and several bottles of water which she placed in a cooler and loaded with ice packs. The men ate both of theirs. Kiera shared one of hers with Shithead, making a friend for life. Few words had been spoken all morning and tension existed between the two men.
They both knew the tension resulted from Nathan’s new relationship with Alissa.
“Can we talk?” Nathan asked Chris, hoping to resolve the situation.
“About what?
“About last night. Me and Alissa.”
Chris seemed surprised. “Honestly. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Well, I know you like Alissa, too.”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous.”
“A little jealous?” Kiera chimed in.
“Okay. A lot. But it’s fine. Honest.”
“Are you sure?” asked Nathan.
“Yes,” Chris replied with full sincerity. “You two have known each other since school while I’m the FNG.”
“FNG?” asked Kiera.
“Fucking new guy.” Chris chuckled at his own joke. “Besides, you two are right for each other.”
“How so?”
“You’re friends from way back and you think alike. You two are planners. I’m more of a reaction type of guy.”
Kiera grinned. “You mean like shooting up propane tanks to stop a deader horde?”
Both men stared at Kiera.
“I’m not complaining. It worked. And it was pretty cool.”
The stares turned into glares.
“Okay. I’ll shut up.” Kiera drank from a bottle of water.
“Kiera may be a bit vocal in her opinion, but she’s right.” Chris ignored her when she gave him a thumbs up. “I do tend to charge into things without thinking them through.”
“Maybe, but most of us wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t taken the initiative. What I’m trying to say is, you’re an important part of the team and I consider you a friend. A good friend.”
Chris seemed surprised.
Nathan nodded. “I know I’ve been rough on you but that’s because….”
Chris understood and didn’t press the issue. “I’m cool. It won’t affect anything.”
“Good.” Nathan stood and offered his hand. “Friends?”
“Of course.” Chris ignored the hand, instead moving in and wrapping his arms around Nathan, enjoying the uncomfortable expression on his face.
“Gross,” said Kiera.
Chris moved aside, keeping one arm wrapped around Nathan. “Do you want in on it?”
“I guess.” The speed which Kiera she joined the group hug belied her disdainful tone. She held Chris a little tighter than Nathan.
Nathan broke the embrace first. “Let’s finish this project and get back to the cabin. I think we could use a drink.”
“All of us?” Kiera perked up.
Nathan chuckled. “I think one shot of whiskey wouldn’t hurt as long as we don’t tell your mother.”
The three went back to stringing barbed wire while Shithead resumed anti-squirrel patrol. They hung the last strand at a height of two and a half feet, enough to stop any deaders and still allow small wildlife through. They ran out of barbed wire three-quarters of the way through, leaving a gap along that portion of the compound. Next time they made a supply run, they would pick up more and finish the job.
Chapter Nineteen
Alpha led his pack west along Route 302. A satiated pack. The deaders had spent hours feeding off the humans and horses, stripping the carcasses clean and leaving nothing but gristle. The feast had done more than curb their hunger. It replenished them, restored their energy. Each had eaten enough for them to go days before the hunger returned and their decaying bodies again suffered from lack of sustenance. Alpha experienced the same contentment that any leader did when it had provided for its pack.
Experience had taught Alpha that following a road would sooner or later lead them to more food, only this time the need was not as urgent. That meant the pack would be more pliable and easier for the Betas to control. Alpha assumed they would eventually come across a former populated area, which usually meant some food remained hidden—
An unusual sound attracted Alpha’s attention, something not associated with nature. It raised a hand, halting the pack. The deaders moaned. Alpha raised a finger to its lips, silencing them. The sound came from the clanging of metal. Alpha did not recognize the noise itself, only that it was usually associated with humans. With food. If the living dead experienced emotions, it would have been pleased at its possible good fortune.
Shifting its head to hear better, Alpha determined that the sound came from its left, somewhere up an access road that led into the mountains. Its brain associated it with metal scraping against metal from the broken world that existed long ago. Either way, it needed to be checked out.
Second rule of hunting – send out scouts so as not to endanger the pack. Alpha motioned for the Beta in a tattered Carroll County Sheriff Department’s deputy uniform. The lower front portion of its shirt had been torn away when several of their kind had ripped opened its abdomen and eviscerated the human for food. Only a gaping hole remained, showing bits of its spine, with a single strand of lower intestine draped across the front of its trousers. When it joined the leader, Alpha pointed up the access road then lifted its hand to shade its eyes. The Beta grunted its acknowledgment and headed into the woods to investigate.
* * *
“I think that’ll do,” said Steve, satisfied with their work.
Rebecca, Diana, and he had finished installing the gates to the chain link fence they had erected yesterday. They had set it up so the gates opened both ways, which would cause less damage to the vehicles if they had to bust through in either direction in an emergency. When completed, Steve wrapped a chain around the inner struts of the gate and secured it with a padlock.
“It makes me feel a bit more confident,” said Diana. “Now the deaders can’t get to us easily.”
“I doubt we’ll see many of them. Most were incinerated in the firestorm.”
“I’m more concerned about humans.” Rebecca could not forget what she had endured while held captive by Dickson’s gang. “They could still get through.”
Steve disagreed. “They’d have to use a car, and we’d hear that.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Test it for yourself.”
; Rebecca stepped over to the gate and shook it. The lock held. To be certain, she slammed her shoulder as hard as she could against the inner struts three or four times. The gate moved a few inches but did not bust open.
“Are you satisfied?” Steve asked with sincerity.
“Yes.” Rebecca stepped back, rubbing her shoulder. “Sorry to be paranoid.”
“You’re not paranoid. I can’t begin to imagine what the two of you went through.”
She forced a smile. “Thanks.”
Steve grabbed his weapon and some of the tools. “Let’s head back. It’s almost lunch.”
The two women picked up their weapons and the remainder of the tools and all three headed back to the cabin. They ran into Nathan, Chris, and Kiera returning from stringing the barbed wire.
“You guys all done?” asked Steve.
“Dad,” said Kiera in a typical frustrated teenager tone. “I’m not a guy. I’m a girl.”
“It was meant generically.”
“Yes,” interrupted Nathan. “We used all the barbed wire. There’s a small segment not completely covered, but we can fix that next time we go on a run. Is the gate finished?”
Steve nodded. “Nothing short of a mob is getting in here.”
“Good.” Chris bent over and scratched Shithead behind the ears. “You ready for lunch, boy?”
The dog barked once.
They entered the cabin.
* * *
None of them noticed the Beta hiding behind the trees, watching their every move. It came across the three humans working on the gate and followed them to the cabin, waiting until they were joined by the others and had gone inside. It then rejoined the pack.
Alpha waited for its return. The deputy Beta described what it had observed, beginning by holding up six fingers and then raising both hands as if holding a long gun. It made a square with both hands and then held them together, swinging them both ways, indicating the humans were inside a structure and had a gate guarding the compound. Once finished, the Beta awaited instructions.
Alpha contemplated the situation. At least six armed humans inside a structure. That did not bode well. Alpha recalled several instances from shortly after its reanimation in which it had tried to swarm food inside a building, none of which ended well. Each attempt had cost the pack most of its deaders and a few Betas, which were difficult to replace. The odds of success with only a few dozen pack members were not good. Besides, they had eaten already and were not desperate. Such a move would be foolish.
Nodding once, Alpha excused the deputy Beta, which fell back into position. Alpha continued along Route 302, leading the pack away from the cabin.
Chapter Twenty
Alissa held Brian’s brace in one hand. “How is your pain level?”
“About the same.”
“About?”
Brian grunted. “The pain level is a little less than when it first happened, but not by much.”
“That’s normal. It could be two weeks before the pain lessens significantly.”
“Shit.”
Alissa turned the cast and checked his fingers for any indication of poor blood circulation. The skin coloring was fine.
“Touch your fingers together.”
Brian closed his hand until all five fingertips connected.
“Excellent.”
“Will I be okay?”
“In four to six weeks, yes. Though it might ache a bit when it rains or the weather gets cold.”
“I can live with that. Thanks for taking care of me.”
“My pleasure.”
Brian went to pull his arm away but Alissa still held the cast. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I need to do one more thing.” Removing a pen from her pocket, Alissa signed the cast. Brian read it.
Get well soon
Alissa
“I’ve never had anyone sign a cast before.”
Alissa patted his foot. “Get some rest. It’s the best thing for you.”
Alissa exited the bedroom and headed downstairs. Chris and Shithead had gone home early. Nathan napped on the sofa. Steve read by the fireplace. Little Stevie and Kiera sat in the chair across from him, playing their Nintendo Game Boys. Miriam, Rebecca, and Diana gathered at the dining room table, a full glass of wine in front of each. Three bottles of wine – a merlot, a chardonnay, and a pinot noir – were opened in front of them.
Miriam tapped the chair beside her. “Join us. We’re having ladies’ night.”
“I’m here.” Steve did not look up from his book.
“We’ll ignore you,” joked Rebecca.
“Same as always.” Steve grinned.
Miriam placed an empty wine glass in front of Alissa. “What do you want?”
“Chardonnay to start.”
“To start?” Miriam winked at her as she filled the glass with wine. “Now that’s my type of woman.”
“What should we drink to?” asked Rebecca.
“I know.” Alissa raised her glass. “To surviving.”
The other three women lifted their glasses, repeated the toast, and swigged their wine.
Diana stared into her glass. “I can’t believe I… my family… well, at least me and the kids… survived this long.”
Rebecca empathized. “Escaping from Dickson was a miracle.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” Diana raised her head. “Even though you were gang raped, you have no idea how bad it was being controlled by that fucking bastard.” The vehemence with which she spoke the last two words startled the other women.
“How long were you and your family…” Alissa did not know how to phrase it. “…held captive?”
“Over a month.” Diana stared back into her glass. The others thought she had ended the story and refused to press her. After a few seconds, however, she resumed. “We had ridden out the first several weeks of the outbreak in our home outside of Concord, in a little town called Dunbarton. We lived out in the woods. We had enough food to last for a while and a generator that we switched over to when the power lines went down.”
“Preppers?” Miriam asked hopefully.
Diana shook her head. “New Englanders. We’d been snowed in enough times to know it could take a week or more for the backroads to be plowed. Everything went well for a long time. Then a horde of deaders from Concord made their way to our town. We never found out why they wandered away from the city. Not that it matters. One day they showed up in our neighborhood. They attacked and ate our neighbors first, which is the only reason we escaped. We had a Silverado with half a tank of gas. When it ran dry, we walked. A few days later Dickson found us. At first, they were friendly. They gave us food and water and drove us back to the Silverado and filled it with their own gas. Dickson told us that since they helped us, we were part of the team. When my husband protested, they beat him up, gang raped me, and threatened to do the same to Connie if we refused to cooperate. For the next month we lived in that damn pick-up. The only time they let us out was to occasionally use the bathroom and to go into stores searching for supplies. I can’t tell you how many times me and my husband were almost killed by deaders. They shot my husband in front of the kids a few days before they picked you up and that asshole Joel.” Diana paused. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have called him that.”
“It’s okay,” said Rebecca. “He was an asshole. He got what he deserved.”
“You were only raped once. It happened every night for me. They made me do… things I had never even considered. If I refused, they would have turned on Connie. At least my kids are safe.”
“Amen,” mumbled Rebecca.
Diana’s hands shook and her voice grew strained as she relayed her story. Alissa feared she might be on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Archer jumped onto the table, made his way over to Diana, and rubbed his head against her hand. She petted him, a tortured smile piercing her lips.
“That’s all behind you now,” offered Alissa.
“I know, but I’ll never g
et over what they made me do. I did what I had to in order to protect my children. I thank God every night that we ran into you guys. It’s nice to know there are decent people left in this world.”
“All for one and one for all,” joked Miriam.
Diana’s gaze switched between Alissa and Miriam. “I want to thank you for putting your lives on the line for us. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“You don’t have to,” said Alissa. “We’re all in this together.”
A strained silence fell across the table with the only sound being Archer purring as Diana petted him.
“How do you think this will all end?” Diana asked.
“You mean us as a group?” asked Miriam.
“No. This outbreak. Are we going to spend the rest of our lives fighting deaders and struggling day by day to survive?”
“God forbid.” Rebecca finished her wine and poured another glass.
“It’ll end someday,” offered Alissa.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes,” said Alissa, only half believing it. “I’m sure someone somewhere is working on a vaccine. Once the government gets back on its feet, they’ll probably organize a counteroffensive to take back what we’ve lost.”
Miriam crinkled her brow. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes. Sure, the heavily populated coasts are a nightmare. I know. I was in Boston when this thing hit. But so much of this country is open area and scarcely populated, I’m sure resistance against the deaders is being organized there. I believe… I have to believe that, otherwise I couldn’t go on.”
Another strained silence fell across the table.
Miriam finally broke the tension. “Enough depressing talk.” She refilled everyone’s glasses and then held up here own. “Here’s to drinking too much, getting buzzed, and forgetting our problems for a few hours.”
Diana perked up. “I’ll drink to that.”
* * *
Night had descended hours ago, making hunting that much more difficult. The pack relied primarily on its sense of sound and smell but, once prey had been detected, daylight helped them track better. Alpha sensed something unusual. Not prey or another predator. More like the presence of its kind, but in much greater numbers.
Nurse Alissa vs. the Zombies | Book 4 | Hunters Page 7
